Mr. Hamzat
Lagos Deputy Gov. Obafemi Hamzat says the state requires a larger budget to meet its growing infrastructure needs, citing rising costs and rapid population growth as major pressures.
Hamzat made this known while featuring on a Fresh FM radio programme in Lagos on Monday.
He said that although the government was investing heavily in key sectors, available resources remained inadequate to address the scale of demand.
He identified transport, housing, healthcare and education as critical areas requiring sustained and expanded funding.
“Resources available to the government remain inadequate compared with the scale of infrastructure needs across Lagos,” he said.
The deputy governor disclosed that the cost of rehabilitating roads across the state had risen sharply, recalling that even in 2011, the estimated requirement exceeded N700 billion.
He said that major projects such as the proposed fourth mainland bridge had remained in the government’s agenda but required substantial financial commitment for execution.
Providing insight into ongoing maintenance efforts, Hamzat said the Lagos State Public Works Corporation had expanded its capacity to address road conditions.
He said: “We used to have 14 maintenance gangs, but we have increased them to 34 teams of engineers that go around Lagos identifying and rehabilitating bad portions of roads.
“Today, we have about 9,911 roads across the state, and all of them require regular maintenance.”
According to Hamzat, road construction in Lagos goes beyond improving vehicular movement.
He said there was the need to integrate drainage and water management into road infrastructure planning.
“When we do roads in Lagos, we are not just moving vehicles; we are moving water.
“Lagos must not sink. We must look into our drainage channels to ensure that there is no overflow,” he said.
Hamzat explained that effective infrastructure delivery must consider where water originated, how it flowed and the adequacy of discharge channels to prevent flooding and other environmental hazards.
According to him, the state’s low-lying terrain makes it imperative to adopt an integrated approach to road construction and drainage management.
On capacity development, the deputy governor said that building infrastructure in Lagos was not only about funding but also about strengthening the expertise of professionals.
Hamzat dismissed claims that the state government projects were concentrated in highbrow areas such as Lekki and Ajah, saying that development had been spread across the state.
“There is no local government that we have not touched,” he said, reiterating that limited resources remained a major constraint.
On housing, Hamzat stressed the need for a functional mortgage system that would enable ordinary residents to own homes.
He noted that many families struggled to complete building projects due to other essential needs, including children’s education.
According to him, sustainable housing solutions must go beyond physical construction to include financing systems that make home ownership accessible.
Addressing concerns about housing deficit, the deputy governor said the current challenge differed significantly from what obtained in the era of a former Governor of Lagos State, the late Chief Lateef Jakande, when the population of the state was smaller and land more readily available.
He said that rapid population growth and increasing pressure on land had made housing development in the state more complex for successive administrations.
He called for innovative approaches and effective financing mechanisms to tackle housing shortage and expand access to affordable homes.
On education, Hamzat defended the quality of public schools in Lagos, dismissing claims of declining standards.
He said that the state government would continue to strengthen its education sector as part of its long-term investment in human capital development.
